Ahmad Gardner, Alec Pierce Projected as 'Biggest 2022 Impact Rookies'

Cincinnati just set a program record with nine Bearcats getting drafted.

Author:
Russ Heltman
May 4, 2022 10:01 AM EDT

CINCINNATI — The New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts have high expectations for their top draft picks this year. The Athletic beat writers do as well after naming Ahmad Gardner and Alec Pierce the biggest impact rookies for their new teams.

Gardner's label kind of goes without saying after he became the highest-drated Bearcat in team history and the first pick in the Jets' draft.

"Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner instantly slides in opposite D.J. Reed as this team’s starting cornerback," Connor Hughes wrote. "Considering the influx of receiving talent on the Bills’ and Dolphins’ rosters, he’s going to be tested early and often. Gardner didn’t allow a single touchdown in coverage in college. How long will that last in the AFC East? The longer it does, the better this pick looks."

The Colts made Pierce their first draft pick this year after having to trade away first-round capital to address their QB position over the past couple of years.

"As easy as it is to pick the team’s first draft pick, it makes a lot of sense here," Zak Keefer wrote. "The Colts believe Alec Pierce can compete right away with Parris Campbell, Michael Strachan and Dezmon Patmon for the WR2 spot. When they weighed adding Pierce, whom they took in the second round, they imagined him lining up opposite Michael Pittman. 'A pretty interesting tandem,' Colts Midwest area scout Chad Henry said. 'If I was gonna market them, I’d call them ‘Above the Rim.’"

Desmond Ridder got a shoutout in the Falcons section, but eighth-overall pick Drake London got the nod.

"If the Falcons get super lucky," Josh Kendall wrote. "The answer will be quarterback Desmond Ridder, but it’s more likely Ridder spends the season backing up veteran Marcus Mariota. Meanwhile, wide receiver Drake London has nothing but open runway in front of him. Atlanta’s first-round selection had 88 catches, 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns in only eight games for USC last season. The seven other wide receivers on the Falcons’ roster combined for 74 catches, 945 yards and five touchdowns last season. London immediately steps into a starting lineup that until his selection included Damiere Byrd, Auden Tate and Olamide Zaccheaus."

It's hard to see Ridder riding the bench all season unless he really underperforms in practice throughout the year. Mariota is not the long-term answer, and it makes plenty of sense to at least see what Ridder can pull off in a regular season game.

Time will tell how things play out in Hotlanta, but it's nearly a lock that at least two of the Bearcats three highest draft picks will have significant roles to start their careers.

Make sure you bookmark All Bearcats for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more.

You May Also Like:

Wes Miller: 'Crucial Offseason' Ahead for Jeremiah Davenport, Viktor Lakhin

Report: Outgoing AAC Schools 'Fully Confident' Settlement is Reached With AAC This Month

Recruiting Roundup: Bearcats Offer Top-60 2024 Recruit, Three Other Prominent 2023-24 Players

Major NFL Draft Analyst Names Ahmad Gardner as his Favorite Pick, Desmond Ridder Starter by Midseason

Three-Star 2023 Quarterback Brady Drogosh Commits to Cincinnati

Ahmad Gardner Headlines Record-Breaking New York Jets Draft Class

Major Analysts Name Desmond Ridder 'Steal of the 2022 NFL Draft'

Local Four-Star 2023 Guard Rayvon Griffith Commits to UC

UC Emerges as a Major Winner From the 2022 NFL Draft

Curtis Brooks Ninth Bearcat Selected in 2022 NFL Draft